Capítulo 563: 977
Iriya's room.
Eun-ha, who had entered on impulse, first asked for Iriya's understanding and then called <Star-Counting Witch> Song Yun-seo.
Perhaps because it was late at night, the dial tone continued for a long time.
After a while.
[Hello... Pandora Clan Lord? What's the matter at this hour?]
Song Yun-seo answered the phone.
A voice, hoarse as if just woken up, was heard through the smartphone.
There was also a hint of annoyance.
Guessing her state, Eun-ha apologized before getting to the point.
"I'm sorry for calling so late. Something came up, and I thought it would be better to tell you right away."
[...Why? Did something really happen? Tell me.]
"Well, it's a bit embarrassing to say..."
In fact, to be honest, Eun-ha wasn't embarrassed at all.
The one who should be embarrassed was Big Mama, not him.
Anyway, Eun-ha, having piqued Song Yun-seo's curiosity with his sly introduction, briefly explained the situation and...
[What? What did you just say? No... Is she really crazy!?]
Song Yun-seo couldn't contain her anger.
She, seemingly fully awake now, raged and panted on the other side of Eun-ha's smartphone.
She didn't hesitate to curse Big Mama either.
[No, more than our Fairy... Ahem! Anyway, what is that old woman doing? Crazy bitch... Pandora Clan Lord, you said you recorded it, right?]
"Yes, I have it now."
[We need to threaten her properly. Send that to me. Right now.]
"Right now?"
[Yes. It's better to hit while the emotions are still fresh. Big Mama must be feeling very embarrassed right now... We shouldn't give her time to compose herself.]
"That makes sense. Alright. I'll send it right away. I'm counting on you."
[Yes, leave it to me, I'll handle it well. But... You said you left to avoid Big Mama, right? Where are you now? Do you have a place to sleep?]
"Ah, well..."
Eun-ha was just embarrassed.
Although it was a coincidence, if he answered that he was in Iriya's room late at night, it would cause unnecessary misunderstanding.
Unable to answer promptly, Eun-ha trailed off.
Then he vaguely made up an excuse.
"I'm in a clan member's room now."
He didn't lie.
He just didn't explain in detail.
Eun-ha rationalized to himself.
[Ah, is that so? That's a relief. It seems you have a place to sleep for now. Alright. Well, good job. Sleep well.]
Fortunately, Song Yun-seo didn't suspect or try to probe deeper.
Thanks to this, Eun-ha inwardly felt relieved at avoiding a difficult situation.
"Yes, you too, Witch. Sleep well."
Eun-ha hung up the phone.
It was then that Iriya, who had been listening to the conversation nearby, opened her mouth.
"Master, is what you just said true? That Big Mama tried to pounce on you. No, how could someone who's the head of a country do such a thing? In the world, what..."
"I know, right..."
Iriya was thoroughly angry, just as Song Yun-seo had been earlier.
She fumed.
"But you just ignore it. The Witch will take care of it."
"How can I ignore this? Master, I think we should make it public and shame her. Even if it strains relations with Italy! How could she really do that to Master..."
Iriya, speaking uncharacteristically bluntly, with her green eyes full of strength, fists clenched, shoulders heaving, and body trembling.
Eun-ha had to calm her down.
On the other hand, he felt grateful.
"Thank you."
"What? For what?"
"You're getting angry for me, aren't you? I can't help but be grateful. It feels good."
"...Well, of course. Because it's Master..."
Iriya becomes shy.
She turns her gaze away from Eun-ha, unnecessarily touching her hair.
While doing so, she stole glances at him.
'She's cute. And...'
Beautiful.
At that moment, Eun-ha realized.
Having shaken off his complex emotions, he curved his lips into a smile.
"Iriya."
"...Master?"
He approaches Iriya.
Eun-ha raised his hand and touched her pointed ear.
Startled by the sudden touch, she quickly raised her head.
Confusion, question, and some other emotion rise on her face.
Eun-ha asked her.
"If it's okay with you, can I stay here tonight?"
"..."
"I don't mean anything strange. I also have other things I want to talk about. Will you allow me?"
"...As long as it's not anything strange. Yes, that's fine... I actually had something I wanted to talk to Master about too."
Iriya shyly nodded.
* * *
They sit side by side on the sofa.
Eun-ha and Iriya silently watched the night sky spread outside the window for a while.
It was beautiful.
"Master."
"Yes."
The one who spoke first was Iriya.
She confessed.
"Actually... I'm pregnant. They say I'm 6 weeks along now."
"..."
Iriya placed on the table what she had been fidgeting with in her hand earlier.
It was a maternity handbook.
"I'm sorry. For not telling you until now..."
"...No. I'm the one who should be sorry. Actually, I already knew."
"I see... So Master knew too. Somehow I thought you might."
"You noticed?"
"Yes. Because at some point, Master started trying to take care of me so attentively that others found it strange. Is that why you've been keeping Player Roberto in check lately too? Because you're worried about my body."
"Well... That's right."
Iriya smiles slightly.
Eun-ha, trying to hide his embarrassment, changed the subject.
He pointed at the maternity handbook.
"Can I look?"
"Yes, go ahead."
Iriya gave permission.
Eun-ha carefully reached out and took the maternity handbook.
Soon, after turning a few pages, he could see the ultrasound image.
"..."
"Can you see it? The gestational sac here."
"Oh, I can see it clearly."
"When I first saw it, it was amazing. That such a small and cute life is growing inside my belly."
Iriya, leaning back on the sofa with her eyes closed, places her hand on her belly.
Eun-ha, turning his gaze from the maternity handbook, looked at her.
"So, Master."
Iriya lifts her eyelids.
With her gaze fixed on her belly, she spoke in a trembling voice.
"I'm really sorry to Master... But I want to have this child."
"..."
"I won't trouble you. I'll make sure there's absolutely no harm to you and your family. I won't make any unreasonable demands about the child's upbringing later. I'll swear, even with magic if necessary. So please..."
Let me have it, let me raise it.
Just as Iriya's voice, filled with desperation, was about to come out of her bowed head.
Eun-ha abruptly cut her off.
"So you're planning to have and raise the child without a father?"
His tone was somewhat reproachful.
Iriya couldn't help but flinch.
Eventually raising her head, she answered with teary eyes.
"...Yes. I'll raise it alone."
"That would be cruel to the child. What if the child resents you? Are you confident you won't regret it?"
"..."
Eun-ha scolded coldly.
Iriya's lips trembled, but she couldn't say anything.
She knew too.
How reckless it was to decide to have and raise a child alone...
Nevertheless.
"I want to have it. I can't abort it. How, how could I abort it..."
"..."
Iriya didn't back down. Even while shedding tears, she hugged her belly as if she could never give up.
Eun-ha could see how firm her resolve was.
Therefore.
"That child is your child, but it's also my child."
"..."
"I don't want to see my child grow up without a father."
Eun-ha reaffirmed his decision.
He took Iriya's hand.
"So stay by my side. Stay with the child where my eyes can reach, by my side."
"Ah..."
Iriya's eyes widened.
An exclamation escaped from her.
Because she knew what Eun-ha was trying to say.
Sure enough, he said.
"I might not be able to promise to love it as much as the other children."
"..."
"But I can promise this one thing. I will never discriminate against the child born between us."
So don't leave me, stay by my side.
Eun-ha proposed sincerely.
"..."
Iriya, who had been staring blankly at Eun-ha, forgetting even that she was crying, soon smiled brightly.
She responded.
"Yes!"
Perhaps.
It might be love, or it might not be love.
However, in the end, it will become love.
* * *
"From now on, let's go to the hospital together."
"Yes, I'd like that."
That night, Eun-ha and Iriya used the same bed.
The two, lying down gently embracing each other, shared the stories they had been holding back until they fell asleep.
"Good night, Master."
"You too. Good night."
And so the night passed.
The next day, Iriya left the lodging for her lunch appointment with Roberto.
In this process, Eun-ha insisted on coming along, so she had to struggle quite a bit to persuade him...
Anyway.
"Iriya, it's here."
"...Ah."
Roberto was waiting, having arrived first without fail this time too.
Iriya headed towards him.
"Hello, Player Roberto."
"You can call me comfortably like before. Just Roberto."
"Haha... I'm sorry."
Roberto is really a good person.
That's why it's even more regrettable.
Putting the bitter feelings aside, Iriya brought up the matter at hand.
"You made a proposal before, right?"
"...Yes, have you made a decision?"
"I appreciate Roberto's offer, but... I'll have to decline. I'm going to stay in Korea."
"..."
Roberto's eyes, which had been speaking kindly, narrowed.
He asked in a heavy tone.
"Can I know the reason?"
"I had a conversation with Master... no, the baby's father yesterday."
"The baby's father... It seems you had a good conversation with Player Noh Eun-ha."
"Yes, that's right. We decided to raise the child together."
Iriya nodded.
She placed her hand on her belly with a gentle smile.
Roberto expressed concern.
"I understand Player Noh Eun-ha already has four spouses."
"..."
"Are you really okay with that? Even if you become the fifth."
"...It doesn't matter. I'm satisfied. As long as this child can be happy."
There was not a hint of wavering in Iriya's eyes as she raised her head.
He couldn't dissuade her.
Roberto, sensing her determination, had no choice but to resign himself.
Soon, relaxing his hardened face, he dropped his shoulders.
"Iriya, if that's your will, there's nothing I can do. It's a shame. I really liked you..."
"Thank you for saying that. But... I'm sure you'll meet someone better than me."
"I hope so. I envy Player Noh Eun-ha. But Iriya, if things get tough, please come here anytime. I and Italy will still welcome you."
"...Yes, I'll remember that."
Of course, that wouldn't happen.
The two, sitting across the table from each other, quietly smiled while intuitively knowing this.
Soon, Roberto changed the subject.
"Shall we have lunch then? This will probably be the last meal I eat alone with you. Is there anything you want to eat?"
"Anything is fine... No."
Iriya shook her head.
She corrected herself in a bright tone.
"Something spicy!"
* * *
After Story 19. Future Calamity
From that day on, Eun-ha and Iriya's relationship became extremely close.
Even people around them noticed.
"..."
People, especially Eun-ha's acquaintances, had a lot they wanted to say.
But they knew from repeated experiences that no matter what they said, it would all be in vain.
It was already spilled milk anyway, and it would just be a waste of energy.
However.
"What? Pregnant!?"
People who heard the news through the grapevine couldn't help but click their tongues, clutch their chests, and grab the back of their necks while nagging.
And that's where it stopped.
Again, they all knew it was futile.
From the start, the judgment of Eun-ha would be carried out by his family in Korea.
"We just need to watch."
"Yeah, that's right."
"..."
So people decided to prepare popcorn for that time.
"But he won't get cut off, won't die... right?"
Of course, Eun-ha knew too.
He couldn't help but be scared of the future that was approaching soon.
Meanwhile, the Big Mama hospitality incident was resolved very smoothly.
"When I went to Big Mama in the middle of the night and played the recording in front of her, her face turned completely pale. So I threatened... no, kindly expressed concern that I would spread it to others, and she came out with a completely submissive attitude."
According to Song Yun-seo's story, the Fairy Government was able to gain many benefits from Big Mama.
She also said that they would have several advantages in future Korea-Italy relations...
They even received an apology from Big Mama, albeit unofficially and formally.
"I'm sorry, Player Noh Eun-ha. I sincerely apologize for the actions that seemed to disrespect you."
"...Raise your head. I hope this doesn't happen again in the future. I accept your apology."
With only officials watching, Big Mama swallowed her pride and bowed her head to Eun-ha.
Eun-ha was careful not to provoke her and create unnecessary trouble.
Perhaps thanks to this, nothing major happened afterwards.
Peaceful days continued.
And so time passed and passed...
"Seo-na, call the kids for me. Discreetly."
"Alright."
On this night, just a few days before returning to Korea.
Eun-ha gathered his companions.
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